Russia plays games with Georgia

SEVEN YEARS ago an oligarch’s dream came true. Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy Georgian tycoon who made his money in Russia, staged a takeover of his native country. Mikheil Saakashvili, a pro-Western moderniser who had once enjoyed Mr Ivanishvili’s support, was forced out of power and from the country. Mr Ivanishvili’s winning coalition, known as Georgian Dream, claimed that democracy had prevailed over Mr Saakashvili, who was denounced as authoritarian at home and reckless abroad. Many Georgians breathed a sigh of relief as Mr Ivanishvili demonised his predecessor, whose methods often struck fear into the populace, and promised to normalise relations with Russia, which Mr Saakashvili had infuriated.